AMA launches campaign to get govt.’s attention
By Lethbridge Herald on October 8, 2024.
Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
The Alberta Medical Association recently launched a campaign to grab the provincial government’s attention about the Primary Care Comprehensive Model.
The main message for the campaign is based around the fact that according to the AMA the government is not listening to physicians.
Dr. Shelley Duggan, president of the AMA, told the Herald in a recent interview that they are still in a contract with the government that expires in 2026, but the unfortunate thing about that contract is that it did not account for compensation that keeps up with inflation and population growth.
“What we have been working with the government over the past 14 or 16 months is to really try and put two proposals towards them. One is the PCCM, which is the Physician Compensation Model and that is a new way of funding primary care,” said Duggan.
She said they have seen other provinces doing similar things, such as British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba which have that funding model in place.
“It really compensates doctors for not just seeing the patient, but all the work they do behind the scenes and for a panel size and complexity,” said Duggan.
She explains that this is something that will help keep physicians in the province, especially those in rural areas.
“We thought that was done, in our minds it was done, but it has been sitting on the minister’s desk to be signed and go to Treasury since April and unfortunately we are still waiting and we don’t know when that is going to come into effect,” said Duggan.
She said this is very worrisome because more than 800,000 Albertans don’t have a family doctor and the AMA is anticipating that to worsen without a new compensation model.
“The second proposal that we have put forth to government is an acute care stabilization to help improve long wait times in the emergency department, wait times for surgery, wait times to see specialists like oncologists, a lack of providers wanting to work in the hospitals after hours, while we work on other things to improve in the system,” said Duggan.
She said the government needs to understand that primary care is the bedrock of the healthcare system and in order to be able to retain and attract new physicians to our province, things need to change and improve.
“With the new model we can have our learners in our residence or medical students see that this is a rewarding way to practice and that they’re going to be able to keep that practice open,” said Duggan.
She added that they also need to work towards having more team environments as they move forward as well.
“So, there are other providers such as practitioners within the family medicine clinics to help manage patients and physicians can potentially expand their panels as well,” said Duggan.
On th AMA website, Duggan shares a letter sent to members that explains what the campaign is about and states that “Our system needs informed reform.”
It also states that the campaign is only one way they will push the government to honour their promises and listen to patients and physicians instead of management consultants.
“Our patients are suffering needlessly. They are paying the costs of government inaction. Physicians want to provide the care we are trained to provide. We want to do so in an environment that meets our professional and business requirements and allows us to remain healthy and burnout-free.”
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I see this campaign as reflecting the frustration of healthcare professionals and the geometry dash deadlocked urgent need for the government to prioritize healthcare reform to ensure that both patients and doctors get the support they need.